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In this paper1, normality and disability are viewed as constructed phenomena, meaning that neither concept is viewed as pregiven or pre-determined, but rather as part of social processes in day-care settings. Constructions of normality and disability are questioned in terms of what could, or should, be considered a normal child or a disabled child. As part of my PhD study (Franck 2014) I interviewed several staff members who reflected on normality and deviance among day-care children. The issue of normality can create a dilemma for day-care staff since they should both embrace diversity and ensure equal opportunities within the educational system. A day-care staff member’s statement illustrates this: “But what – I ask myself this question every day – what is normal then? Are we supposed to make like, like, ideal children who are all alike?” Dilemmas on how to understand children are also apparent in Norwegian national documents. Day-care staff members are in some ways torn. On the one hand they face increased demand to document and evaluate children’s development, skills, and abilities as a means to ensure equality in future school-outcomes. On the other hand, day-care centres need to maintain focus on the intrinsic value of childhood and celebrate diversity among children (Franck 2014). Exploring ways of understanding constructions of normality and disability thus intends to shed light on possible approaches for understanding central practices and per spectives operating within the day-care setting. In an attempt to outline contributions from Disability studies and Childhood studies I will in this paper delimit and direct focus towards a few key areas in each respective academic field. Firstly this paper outlines a couple of well-established perspectives within Childhood studies regarding children as competent actors and criticizing a notion of a normal developing child. I will illustrate how discussions on these matters contribute to further understanding of constructions of normality in day-care settings. Thereafter I will comment on childhood studies contribution to understanding constructions of disability in terms of including disabled children’s voices in research, but also how this may trouble the notion of the competent child. The second part of this paper points to central elements within the field of Disability studies and connects these to the day-care setting. First, I illustrate how perspectives from the social model of disability contribute with a focus on disabling barriers as a way Barn nr. 1 2014: 57–69, ISSN 0800–1669 © 2014 Norsk senter for barneforskning

Contributions of Disability Studies and Childhood Studies to understanding the construction of ”normality” and ”disability” in day-care settings